as in mistress
a female other than his wife with whom a married man has a continuing sexual relationship
the offspring of one of the monarch's concubines
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Recent Examples of concubine
Her cleverness catches the eye of Jinshi, a beautiful eunuch who oversees the Rear Palace’s operations, and Maomao is soon promoted to lady-in-waiting and taste tester to one of the Emperor’s favorite concubines.
—
Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Faces painted white, surrounded by concubines of every gender, Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are utterly taken with the barbarian who can recite Virgil while covered in another man’s blood, after Macrinus presents Lucius in a private showcase.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Luckily for fans turned on by Shogun to the cunning machinations of feudal Japanese lords, swordsmen, concubines and ladies in waiting, the well of samurai storytelling that inspired Shogun and Clavell’s book is very deep indeed.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Kayti Burt, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Soft, sheer fabrics rustled against the interior walls as Anula surged through the concubine estate.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025
Faces painted white, surrounded by concubines of every gender, Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) are utterly taken with the barbarian who can recite Virgil while covered in another man’s blood, after Macrinus presents Lucius in a private showcase.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Luckily for fans turned on by Shogun to the cunning machinations of feudal Japanese lords, swordsmen, concubines and ladies in waiting, the well of samurai storytelling that inspired Shogun and Clavell’s book is very deep indeed.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for concubine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for concubine
Noun
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Hindsight is a fickle mistress.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
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The musical, about a film director named Guido Contini contending with a midlife crisis, starred the likes of Antonio Banderas, Laura Benanti, and Chita Rivera—but Krakowski’s turn as Guido’s mistress was a highlight.—
Keaton Bell,
Vogue,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For the third year, restaurants in Hayward are enticing food lovers with the opportunity to save money while discovering new places and revisiting old favorites.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Leigh Lucas’ book of poetry reckons with the death of a lover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Concubine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/concubine. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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